Teleprompters, or prompting mechanisms associated with video and film cameras, are well-known accessories and commonly used by actors, news readers, news reporters and other personnel reading off prepared information and documents while being shot by the camera. These teleprompter systems typically comprise a portion which attaches to a camera lens, including a mirror with a hood, associated with a monitor located at the angle thereto, so that a person standing in front of the camera is able to view the image displayed on the monitor in the mirror. The mirror is, conventionally, a one-way mirror, thus enabling the lens behind the mirror to capture images on the other side thereof.
The monitor is typically attached to the mirror and hood. The monitor in such teleprompters is typically attached to a power source, as well as to a computer into which the text to be read by the reader in front of the camera is displayed. As the text is displayed on the monitor, it can be read through the reflected image on the mirror mounted on the lens, and at an appropriate angle to the monitor screen. The text, which should be in inverted or reverse script, is scrolled up and down along the monitor as the reader reads through the information.
In conventional teleprompters, the mirror has on one side thereof the hood or housing which defines a chamber. The housing fits onto the end of the lens of the camera. When attached to the lens, the chamber defined by the housing and mirror is essentially sealed to light, and the only light permitted to enter the chamber, and hence the lens of the camera, is that which passes through the one-way mirror. This comprises the image of the objects at which the lens is directed.
The users of such known teleprompters were generally limited to viewing the passive content displayed in conjunction with teleprompter prompts, as they had no way in which they could interact with any content so-displayed. The present invention addresses these and other needs.
Additionally, to the extent that supplemental content has been made available to such viewers, this has been done through a decoupled, separate communication channel. For instance, a producer can provide a separate communication channel with data, a video stream, or both at a URL associated with the broadcast. For example, a television station can have on-air programming and also provide supplemental content available through a website. Apart from sponsoring both sources of information, these communication channels are generally decoupled from one another. In other words, the broadcaster has only an indirect relationship to the viewer with regard to any supplemental content.
The present invention further addresses these problems in a system and method in which the broadcaster—who can even be an individual using a portable computer device—provides viewers with the ability to launch supplemental content that has been curated by the broadcaster to the topics and information sources chosen by the broadcaster. As such, a more personal and deeper experience can be had by utilizing the present invention.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein is presented.